An Emollient PLUS Balm Is Useful for the Management of Xerosis in Patients Treated for Cancer: A Real-World, Prospective, Observational, Multicenter Study

Introduction Xerosis is a common skin side effect of current anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and hormonotherapy. We evaluated the effectiveness of an emollient PLUS containing an Aquaphilus dolomiae extract (ADE-G1) for the management of xerosis in adult patients treated for cancer. Methods This real-world, prospective, observational, multicenter study involved 319 xerotic cancer patients, who were prescribed the study product according to the usual practice of their physician. The practitioner assessed xerosis severity and objective clinical signs, and the patients assessed subjective clinical signs and the impact of their skin condition on their quality of life, at inclusion and after around 4 weeks of use. Overall effectiveness and tolerance were assessed at the end of the study. Clinical success was defined by the combination of several of these effectiveness outcomes. Results Daily application of the emollient PLUS reduced xerosis severity in 62.7% of patients ( p < 0.0001). The mean total severity scores for objective and subjective clinical signs were reduced by 67.7% and 57.4% ( p < 0.0001), respectively, compared with baseline. The mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score also significantly improved at the end of follow-up (−56.6%, p < 0.0001). The product was rated as “effective” or “very effective” by the physician for over 80% of patients, regardless of the initial severity grade of xerosis. Overall clinical success was achieved in 73.7% of patients. A trend toward higher effectiveness and clinical success was observed in patients under hormonotherapy. The study product was well tolerated, regardless of the anticancer therapy being received. Conclusion This study shows that the emollient PLUS containing ADE-G1 is an effective treatment for xerosis in cancer patients, regardless of the initial grade of xerosis and the anticancer treatment received.